Without a doubt, Astro City is one of the best comics on the stands, and it has been over the course of its run. And it’s not shy about touching on hard questions, as we can see in the latest arc of the book.
Winged Victory, Astro City’s version of Wonder Woman, has been running what amounts to a battered women’s shelter for decades. It takes women in, trains them to defend themselves, gives them the help they need, and then sends them back out into the world. It’s been a bastion of the city for years… but now it’s coming under attack.
Busiek has always been good at balancing political and social commentary with a compelling plot in Astro City, and this arc in particular has been a stand-out demonstration of that. Winged Victory is a strong feminist, but unlike a lot of comics, she’s never been a cartoon character or something to be burned in figurative effigy. And as we get to know her better, something that’s long overdue, she’s becoming one of the most compelling characters in a superb book.
Of course, in addition to assaults on her character, she’s got some more mundane problems, like the Confessor trying to break into her compound. See for yourself in the first few pages of Astro City #8, on sale next week.